I am quite pleased to put my popular science book reading hobby/obsession to good use and give a 20 minute presentation to fellow science communicators at the Science Talk ’19 conference.

Before I provide the list of books presented, many authored by women, you may be interested in the fact that I maintain a list of women science writers. Check that out at Women Science Book Writers.

I am also trying to be smart about keeping track of books that are coming out in 2019, and have that list at 2019 Science Books.

What follows are the books I shared at #SciTalk19 along with the category I assigned them to. Many of the books could fall into several categories and the categories are ones that I created and are not canon by any stretch.

There are so many books out there, and due to time constraints, surely I forgot some of your favorites! Thanks for understanding that I could not list even all of my favorites.

Recently, I’ve been challenged to consider curiosity and its role in envisioning future technologies through exploring the #alwayscurious initiative at Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany on their 350th anniversary. They’ve partnered with many scientists, artists, and thinkers to more fully explore and share ideas about curiosity.

I was delighted to come across a recent series of articles in The Harvard Business Review about the role of curiosity in business and why it is important. I found myself most drawn to the article, The Five Dimensions of Curiosity, by psychologist Todd B. Kashdan and his co-authors.

HBR cover September-October 2018 issue

The group that formulated the Five Dimensions of Curiosity did so by combining the work of science teams who look at various aspects of curiosity. The dimensions they formulated are described as follows:

Joyous Exploration -being consumed with wonder about the fascinating features of the world.

Deprivation Sensitivity -recognizing a gap in knowledge, the filling of which offers relief.

Stress Tolerance-a willingness to accept and even harness the anxiety associated with novelty.

Social Curiosity -talking, listening, and observing others to learn what they are thinking and doing.

The old version of the Joanne Love Science website sported a subtitle that read: “Always passionate, always curious, always enthusiastic about everything science”.

I suppose I’ve given very little thought into what being curious REALLY means, and learning about the five dimensions of curiosity helps dissect the idea of curiosity apart.

Given that my self-proclamation of “always curious” was a hallmark of my older website, I thought I would peruse a few older interviews I’d given that could provide snapshot of the role curiosity had in guiding me to science, and my hopes that my children would remain curious well past their childhoods. Through a few excerpts, I see evidence of a few of the dimensions in my answers.

Bardega: Joanne, tell us a little bit about your background ~ what were you like growing up?Manaster: I was quite shy but very curious. I did the usual things kids do, playing with friends outside, playing equally with dolls or cars with my siblings, and participating as a Girl Scout for many years. I loved to read all sorts of books and I particularly enjoyed when NOVA or National Geographic Specials would come on TV. My dad was in the Air Force and we moved around a bit. The most interesting place we lived was on Guam during my middle school and high school years. It was great to live in tropical weather all year long and have the privilege to enjoy the ocean habitat every day.

Bardega: You have had quite a varied career – from model to scientist. What sparked your interest in science and ultimately led you to the career path you took?Manaster: I’d always been interested in nature and the human body. My father was a hospital administrator and my mom had numerous health issues and I’m sure these things colored by desire to go to medical school to become a doctor. I also spent a lot of time exploring the “boonies” on Guam where my father was stationed with the Air Force, so I attribute that to my interest in nature and honing my observation skills that are necessary in science.

Looking at these two answers to the interviewer’s questions, it is clear that I have a bent toward the dimension of Joyous Exploration. What ultimately drove me to science was a sense of wonder about the world and the joy that discovery brings to me.

[This]… dimension… is joyous exploration—being consumed with wonder about the fascinating features of the world. This is a pleasurable state; people in it seem to possess a joie de vivre.

No wonder observational and exploratory science makes me happy!

Incredibly creative ideas can come forth thanks to curiosity. This of great help in science, but results can be seen in the art world as well. For instance, looking at the Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany #alwayscurious initiative, I was most awed by the artistic collaboration with Mira Calix, an award winning composer based in the UK. In Ode to the Future, Mira creates music in collaboration with six unborn humans via the sounds created during ultrasounds. It’s so unique and creative and definitely worth checking out.

Returning to the five dimensions, Deprivation Sensitivity has been, and remains, another major impetus to finding answers to concepts I don’t know.

Deprivation Sensitivity -recognizing a gap in knowledge, the filling of which offers relief. This type of curiosity doesn’t necessarily feel good, but people who experience it work relentlessly to solve problems.

Continuing with the F Equals interview:

Bardega: You’re an extremely busy lady ~ how do you manage all the different hats you wear?Manaster:I began outreach after my four children were all a bit older, 8 years old and up at the time (They are now 24, 21, 19 and 16) (edit: they are now 27, 24, 22 and 19). It was still a busy time as a mom, but my kids were becoming more independent and that freed up quite a bit of my time. I don’t think I could have done what I do now at the time I had babies and toddlers! In fact, I’m pretty sure my time with so many young children truly increased my capacity to multitask, to block out distractions when necessary, and to keep a hold on the wonder of the natural world, especially because I wanted my children to remain curious!

I think when you enjoy what you do, it makes it easier to balance many different things. All the things I do: teaching, interacting on social media, reading books and interviewing science book authors, traveling, and spending time in my children’s company, I enjoy immensely, so I make time for it all.

I’d certainly consider my interest in my children and their well-being a form of social curiosity. Looking again at the HBR article:

Social Curiosity -talking, listening, and observing others to learn what they are thinking and doing. Human beings are inherently social animals, and the most effective and efficient way to determine whether someone is friend or foe is to gain information. Some may even snoop, eavesdrop, or gossip to do so.

It’s not such a stretch to consider that my interest in scientists doing their work, or of the people with whom I interact with on social media, could also be considered a form or social curiosity.

If you are interested in science and engineering, I hope you will persevere even if others around say it is hard, and definitely banish any thoughts you may have acquired from teachers, your parents or peers such as, “Science is only for “smart” people, and that’s not me.” Granted, science and engineering require that you apply yourself, that you challenge yourself, but our brains and our very essence of being thrives on that challenge. A sense of accomplishment once you understand a new concept or learned a new skill is one of the most rewarding things you will ever encounter. It is quite motivating.

Begin to notice what interests you. Are you drawn to certain topics more than others? Take note of those and begin to explore those topics more in depth, and from many different angles. Read a book on the topic, watch a video or TV show, find articles, and even contact an expert in the field if you want to know more and would like hands-on experience. When you are sated with that topic, feel free to move on to another, and even see where your areas of fascination overlap!

Finally, read. Read a lot. Read the books you enjoy, but start to read books that are a little more difficult and require more concentration. Try a new topic. I strongly believe it is one key to becoming successful in science and engineering as well as other fields. Don’t let your intellect wither through lack of challenge of only watching TV or playing video games to the exclusion of all else. Stay curious and actively pursue the things that fascinate you and take your explorations further and deeper!

The advice I offer here indicates that what you are interested or fascinated in is also something you are curious about and it is easier to learn new things when you capitalize on that curiosity. The willingness to explore a new field, area, concept or space is called Stress Tolerance. Being in the state of not knowing can motivate one in curiosity.

Stress Tolerance-a willingness to accept and even harness the anxiety associated with novelty. People lacking this ability see information gaps, experience wonder, and are interested in others but are unlikely to step forward and explore.

I’ve covered four of the five dimensions. The only dimension I don’t feel a complete resonance with is Thrill Seeking. It may manifest in a mild form because I enjoy travel, however, I’m more likely to imagine our adventurers, explorers, and entrepreneurs in this category than I am myself.

Psychologist Todd B. Kashdan, who compiled the Five Dimensions of Curiosity, has pursued theses ideas with Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany about the role of curiosity at work. From the HBR article:

With Merck KGaA we have explored attitudes toward and expressions of work-related curiosity. In a survey of 3,000 workers in China, Germany, and the United States, we found that 84% believe that curiosity catalyzes new ideas, 74% think it inspires unique, valuable talents, and 63% think it helps one get promoted. In other studies across diverse units and geographies, we have found evidence that four of the dimensions—joyous exploration, deprivation sensitivity, stress tolerance, and social curiosity—improve work outcomes. The latter two seem to be particularly important: Without the ability to tolerate stress, employees are less likely to seek challenges and resources and to voice dissent and are more likely to feel enervated and to disengage. And socially curious employees are better than others at resolving conflicts with colleagues, more likely to receive social support, and more effective at building connections, trust, and commitment on their teams. People or groups high in both dimensions are more innovative and creative.

In my job as a university level biology educator, I find myself interested in how curiosity helps students, and how it eventually can be of benefit to the work of a scientist. Curiosity makes for faster learners, leading to better job-related performance, and eases the process of adapting to new environments. Curiosity is all about learning what we do not yet know. I’m sure to most of the readers of this article, it is like preaching to the choir, but it’s clear that keeping your curiosity high seems to be a wise approach to leading an interesting life.

I was given a great opportunity to visit with the team from EMD Performance Materials Group at the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas January 8-11. (Full disclosure: the trip and this post were sponsored by EMD Performance Materials Corp., a business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany).

When I’d mention in conversations that I’d be working as an influencer for Merck, practically every response would be, “Oh, healthcare?” and I’d have to correct them because understanding who Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany actually is can be quite complex. You see, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, holds the rights to the name and the trademark “MERCK” internationally except for the United States and Canada, where they operate in the biopharma market as EMD Serono, in life science as MilliporeSigma, and in the specialty chemicals and high-tech materials business area as EMD Performance Materials.. Part of my task as an influencer with EMD Performance Materials at #CES2019 was to raise awareness of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany’s presence in the US.

Did you know that nearly every device near you has products from the @EMDGroup, including LCD, OLEDs, semiconductors and pigments? Check out this image from #CES2109. Sponsored by EMD Performance Materials Corp., a business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany #alwayscurious

In addition to these staple elements in every device created by companies around the world, the EMD Performance Materials Group has been innovating new products that they took the time to showcase in their colorful and attractive booth. One of these are liquid crystal windows that can adjust in order to attenuate light and heat coming through windows.

Video showing the liquid crystal window display at the EMD Performance Materials booth at #CES2019 ain Las Vegas January 8-11. The windows can be programmed to attenuate the light and heat coming through them. Many thanks to Becki Saltzman for filming this short video.

I had the opportunity to speak with Kai Beckmann, member of the Executive Board and CEO of the performance materials business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany . I could have asked about the expansiveness of the products the company offered but instead decided to focus on the differences between being a scientist in academia versus in an industry like Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany’s . He first emphasized that innovation within industry is often done in collaboration with universities and in multidisciplinary teams (which is the way science is moving these days in all fields). Additionally, a significant amount of R&D is driven and done in concert with their customers. Rather than force an idea upon a customer, they listen to their needs and work together. The company is a leader in the market of LEDs, OLEDs and LCDs, touch sensitive screens, and even pigments in your phone case, so it is clear their methods and products are trusted.

At #CES2019 I asked Merck CEO @KaiBeckmann CEO of the performance materials business of Merck, KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany about benefits for young scientists in business vs. academia. A big plus: more opportunities for career development & role changing. Sponsored by EMD Performance Materials Corp., a business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany #alwayscurious

With the growing needs of machine learning and AI algorithms, semiconductor chips need to be faster, more powerful, and not use too much power. I knew that Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany helped in the development of semiconductor materials and I was curious about the changes that would need to happen to create these high performance chips. I spoke with Adnan Nambier, Head of the KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany’s semiconductor solutions business about making semiconductors more powerful by using a modified technique in their assembly that simplifies the usual patterning steps by using Directed Self Assembly (DSA) of polymers to create smaller features on the chip. Done with consistent chemicals and processes, there is a higher fidelity in pattern replication, and can save money for the customer. (Check out this somewhat longish video if you want to learn more about the science behind DSA.)

I want to wrap up my experience at #CES2019 with EMD Performance Materials by telling you that they support STEM education so they are A-OK in my book! During #CES2019 they ran a social media campaign to encourage us all to join them in increasing their donation to The Franklin Institute a science museum and STEM education supporter, in Philadelphia to help the underserved children further their education and their love for science.

A reminder that @EMDGroup supports @TheFranklin & you can boost donations for #STEM education by stopping by at #CES2019 snapping a photo & sharing it as tagged below. Sponsored by EMD Performance Materials Corp., a business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany #alwayscurious

Anyone who follows me on social media knows of my predilection for popular science books (as well as other non-fiction and fiction, too!)

By my count, I read (or listened to) well over 75 books in 2016, including finally (FINALLY) reading and enjoying the science fiction classic Read Player One. What follows is a list of some of the favorites of the science variety I’ve read this year with a brief comment or two, and including a link to any Read Science! episode that would have been held with the author(s).

This list is not meant to show all non-fiction science books that were published in 2016. Naturally, as any other bibliophile would, I have a large stack remaining to be tackled.

Lab Girl by Hope Jahren. Hope graciously agreed to be on and episode of Read Science! (watch here) this year (wherein, amusingly, her office lights automatically turn off periodically as an energy saving measure). Her book is by far the most unique book I’ve read in the science non-fiction genre and in our interview she states how she set out to write something completely different. She alternates moving memoir-style chapters of her life/life-in-science alternating with transcendent and informative writing about plants. I loved it so much that after I read it, I also listened to it because she was the narrator, and since it was her story, it was a marvelous experience. Her book now joins my favorite science books of all time, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot and The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee.

Eccentric Orbits: The Iridium Story by John Bloom. This book caught my eye this summer because it was ‘An Amazon Best Book of the Year So Far (Business & Investing)’ and the WSJ also recommended it, so I straight out purchased it. While I’m not completely averse to business style books, they certainly wouldn’t be my first choice. However, this book promised rockets, science and technology, so I took a chance. I hadn’t closely followed the Iridium satellite events in the news during the years they were happening as I was raising my four young kids, so the book was essentially a refresher course. Bloom’s telling of the circumstances contained a plethora of players and numerous business and legal dealings which might have lost me in less deft storytelling hands, but I found myself enthralled by how he managed to weave the information together and bring the reader along so well without losing us in the midst of it all.

The Gene: An Intimate History by Siddhartha Mukherjee. In case it has not been made clear from tweets and during occasional Read Science! episode exclamations, Dr. Mukherjee’s first book, The Emperor of All Maladies is practically my favorite book of all time. When I finished reading it, I mourned the end of the book for several days because I had immersed myself into it so completely. Anyone who reads knows this feeling all to well.

Was it possible I held my breath waiting six years for another masterpiece from Dr. Mukherjee? Well, of course not, because breathing is important. But, as a cell biologist teaching at a major research university, and teaching genomics nonetheless, I was excited to hear of his newest book, and curious to see how he approached a topic I am quite familiar with. It covers the history of discovery across the entire field of DNA, genetics and genomics, and does it very well interspersed with a personal story of the genetics in his own family. It was a delight to read, and at over 600 pages, one would think he touched on all aspects of ‘the gene’, but since it is such an expansive and expanding field, inevitably some details are missing. I recommend following up with Kat Arney’s Herding Hemingway’s Cats (below) for some of the newest findings in genetics/genomics.

Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us, From Missiles to the Moon to Mars by Nathalia Holt. This book was a revelation to me as the fact that women did the calculations to help us double check the work of physicists and engineers who were creating rockets and missiles. Her book focuses on the ladies in California and the area that eventually became NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab. Her book predates the much talked about Hidden Figures.

I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life by Ed Yong. Ed’s work as a biology writer is top notch, as many of you may know from his work at The Atlantic, and previously at Discover. As he reveals to us in his appearance on Read Science! (watch here) he wasn’t really planning on writing a book, but the topic of the microbiome inspired him to create this important, informative and inimitable work, replete with the humor he is known for in his other writings (including tweets).

How to Survive a Plague: The Inside Story of How Citizens and Science Tamed AIDS by David France. Read Science! guest Steve Silberman (Neurotribes watch here) had tweeted about this book and the topic intrigued me. The storytelling in the book captivated and informed me to a level I’d not been before on the topic. All in all, I learned that activism works to further scientific research. I loved this book. One of my top faves in 2016.

Eight more of Joanne’s favorite Science Books from 2016

Moving on to the next 8 books among my favorites for 2016, I’m going to speed things along. Five of the eight listed above were Read Science guests so be sure to check out the episode if you are interested.

Venomous: How Earth’s Deadliest Creatures Mastered Biochemistry by Christie Wilcox. You may know Christie from twitter (@NerdyChristie) and by her blog, Science Sushi. I really enjoyed her book, maybe moreso because I’m a cell biologist and since cells do biochemistry really well, I could appreciate her approach to explaining how toxins are produced in the animals that use them as defense and as the weapon in the unfortunate victim. She was a wonderful guest on Read Science! (watch here)

The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It….Every Time by Maria Konnikova. A very interesting and practical book. If you or a loved one has ever fallen for a con (and really, who hasn’t?), you will find the stories and science in the book riveting. Maria kindly was a guest on Read Science! (vide0).

Breaking the Chains of Gravity: The Story of Spaceflight before NASA by Amy Shira Teitel. Amy is a prolific creator of fun spaceflight history videos and now a podcast. Her book came out in January but it took us a while to schedule her appearance on Read Science! (watch here). He book tells the story of rocket testing and the steps it took to get into space before NASA had their opportunity. It was a very interesting book.

Herding Hemingway’s Cats: Understanding How Our Genes Work by Kat Arney. I know a lot about the science of genomics and genetics but learned a few new things by reading her book, as I pointed out in her appearance on Read Science! (watch here). Nearly every book on genes starts with Gregor Mendel, but she didn’t and for that, I give her a high five. (Don’t worry, it’s still in the book!). Reading the book is like having a good friend explain the latest science in a very friendly and clear manner.

When I was approached to participate in tonight’s #STEMchat on twitter with Bayer, who is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its Making Science Make Sense program, disjointed memories of science information from various teachers began to pop into my mind. I thought of Mr. Beccue in 5th grade helping us burn feathers and hair to teach us about the chemical make-up of proteins. The smell is sulfur from the the amino acid cysteine in keratin. In 4th grade, I recall grappling with how hot air rises and cold air sinks and that is why the shower curtain will blow toward the bathtub while you shower. The explanation was in a seldom-consulted textbook rather than through hands-on experimentation, but it was a real-life example I could understand. I also remember the push for the metric system in America when I was in elementary school (check out the book, Whatever Happened to the Metric System?: How America Kept Its Feet if you want to know more). Little did I know that the early training in the metric system would be invaluable in my future scientific career, even if America did not want to join the rest of the world in its use. Oh, and Mrs. Thompson in 3rd grade, with her distinct shoe clopping as she came down the hall, indicating we should all get back in our seats, was the one who told us about this new space ship that will take off like a rocket but return like a plane. I talk about that briefly approximately 2 minutes into my Pecha Kucha talk about the last space shuttle launch:

In middle school, the Air Force brought my family to the tiny tropical island of Guam. I was able to experience the beach and the boonies daily. In middle school biology, we raised and then cooked snails to eat. EWW! No, thank you!!! By high school, I was certain I wanted to become a physician so I had high hopes for my science classes. I went to a small all-girls Catholic school where resources weren’t abundant, so we made due with what we had. For biology, we dissected frogs we caught outside because those were plentiful on Guam. We had to pith them ourselves, which made many of us unhappy. I put on a brave face and reluctantly did it. Double EWW! Even though that part wasn’t fun, I have to admit that the inner workings of the frog were interesting albeit slimy! I only recall one hands-on chemistry lab during high school, but that was enough to whet my appetite for more of that when I got to college! Physics topics were not all that memorable, but the thick accent of the teacher from India was, as it had me deciphering new physics words. Oddly, the fact that he said “milliwolves”, creating waves of giggles from girls in the class, actually made it easier to learn the place of millivolts in physics!! I was famous in school for the “translation dictionary” I created of his pronunciation to real words.

Tonight on twitter, I’ll be joining a great group of panelists as we talk about what science education was like BEFORE computers in the classroom, ipads, smartphone and ready-made kits for experimentation. The science education my children have been receiving is much, much different than I had!

STEMchat will take place on Thursday, October 15, 2015 from 9-10 pm Eastern.

The panel of guests include:

@KimMoldofsky, also known as The Maker Mom and founder of #STEMchat. Occasionally tweeting from @TheMakerMom and @STEMchat.

@BayerUS – Life Science company dedicated to advancing science literacy.

As part of this chat, we will make a special effort to Say “Thank You!”, #SayTKU, to science mentors who inspired us! Every time you do, Bayer will provide free admission to a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) venue for a child (up to 25,000) through a new partnership with Tickets for Kids® Charities. I think it is a fabulous idea! Thank a teacher and inspire a child!

Please join us to talk about the brave new world of science education!

I’ve been a constant supporter (and occasional viewer) of the Emmy Award-winning series on PBS KIDS called SciGirls. They have been on the air for three seasons featuring teams of girls ages 12-14 who are involved in science activities in their homes and communities. This is a very important age to reach girls about science and their show is quite engaging! In fact, a few years back, I learned from one of their producers that their main audience is girls YOUNGER than the girls on the show, and this is how kids programming usually works, the younger kids are inspired by slightly older kids doing science.

The team at SciGirls wants all of us to join in to do science, and to that end they are encouraging participation in Citizen Science via some projects at Sci Starter. To help them along in spreading the word, a group of us STEM enthusiasts will be coming together to talk about girls in science and citizen science in particular on twitter this Thursday night at the hashtag, #STEMchat.

I was only narrowly recruited for this chat as I leave the next day to head to Costa Rica to hangout with some sloths and the researchers, naturalists and rescuers who work with them. Stay tuned for some adorableness! If my signal is good, I’ll be Vining, Instagramming, tweeting, G+ ing and Periscoping! I’m in most places as @sciencegoddess.

This adorable photo of Kermie is courtesy of Primatography, aka Sam Trull, who works at Kids Saving the Rainforest on the Pacific side of Costa Rica. I’ll be on the Caribbean side…this time, at least! I anticipate I’ll be one happy biologist!

With this episode we celebrated several firsts: our biggest hangout to date (all 6 of us in one little video), our first return guest (Suzi), and our first guest joining us from Africa (Laurie, from her office at the Cheetah Conservation Fund, in Namibia). To celebrate we had a very stimulating conversation about extinction and animal conservation, featuring the passenger pigeon and the cheetah.

The above video of then 8th grader Michael Koehler from Pennsylvania explaining Bernoulli’s Principle was my first introduction to the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge, the nation’s premier science competition for middle school students. At that time, in 2008, the students were asked to explain scientific principles and Michael was a finalist for his submission, moving on to the in person competition. I was charmed by his presentation and shared it originally on my first incarnation of Joanne Loves Science.

While I always seem to have a stack of books to read, I’m always thrilled when books come out that somehow have me manage to ignore that pile in order to delve into them. Tomorrow (February 24th), two such books will be available here in the US.

The first is p53: The Gene that Cracked the Cancer Code by Sue Armstrong, a writer based in the UK (where this book has already been out for a few weeks.) Being a cell biologist, I am so excited to read the narrative Sue has written about this very important gene that is central to keeping us cancer free. It is such a well-studied gene that there are certainly many important scientists and physicians playing a role in the book.

In this episode we talked with Corey S. Powell, editor of the book “Undeniable : Evolution and the Science of Creation”, by Bill Nye, former editor-in-chief of “American Scientist” and “Discover” magazines, and author of the Discover blog “Out There”.

As usual, our conversation was wide ranging, from debating with creationists to GMOs, science journalism to the human need for exploration. And this was where we first learned that Bill Nye was visiting Monsanto to learn more about GMOs and they will be editing that controversial chapter. This link will take you straight to that part of the conversation.

The weekend of January 24th, I was in Chicago for a meeting of nerdy, geeky, and artistic minds at an invitation only event called ORDcamp held at the Google offices. It was great fun and I met some fantastic folks doing incredible things!

I threw several necklaces in my bag for the trip and when Saturday came, the two above were the narrow downed choices